Earlier today we posted a review of Jesse V. Johnson's latest action effort, The Mercenary . And just now I got off the line with its star, the great Dominiqiue Vandenberg. Dom might not be a household name like Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme, but he's the absolute real deal when it comes to being a real-life action hero. He's a former French Foreign Legionnaire, an accomplished martial artist, and trained in knife combat. His big Hollywood break came when Martin Scorsese hired him to be a technical advisor for Gangs of New York, Yes, all the brutal knife fighting and combat in that movie are his handywork! He's gone on to work on dozens of movies, most recently Johnson's Triple Threat, which kicks much ass. Now he's starring in The Mercenary, which hits DVD and Digital Jan. 7 from Uncork'd Entertainment. Dom and I talk everything from the movie to his storied combat and martial arts history. It's a fascinating chat with a fascinating, ol...

There was a lot of noise made about a month or so ago on what cinema is. The war of words started when acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese said the Marvel Cinematic Universe was not cinema. This caused a "great" debate among... well... pretty much everyone about what makes cinema, if the Marvel movies are cinema, and so forth. Yadda, yadda, yadda. I didn't enter that debate. Our Mike S did, and did so eloquently . But having watched Scorsese's latest, The Irishman, in one marathon sitting, I think everyone missed the point. That's right, you're all wrong! Wanna fight about it? Didn't think so. I think cinema can be broken down into two forms, and Quentin Tarantino nailed them in the highly underrated True Romance. There's a scene where Christian Slater talks with a movie producer about the difference between movies and film. I'm not going to do Tarantino's great dialogue justice, but to paraphrase; film is the higher art form, and movie...

If there's any proof streaming services can produce quality content, it's 2019's The Irishman. It's another gangster epic from the master, Martin Scorsese, and among his best. The Irishman is loaded with so many excellent scenes, fuelled by some stellar acting from the cast. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino do a fantastic job, invigorating their characters in a way that sets them apart from previous roles. De Niro in particular stands out, giving one of his best performances. He fills a quiet character with such depth and subtle emotion that he honestly makes the film for me. That's not to say the acting is the only great aspect, Martin's directing is as sharp as ever. The three-hours-and-30-minute tale jumps forward and backward in time, never once losing me. It's also a masterclass n the use of music in film, as well as when not to use it. All these elements come together to create an ultimately poignant life story. It's very long, an...

So, a famous director recently said that the Marvel movies aren't "cinema". And then other famous directors chimed in- some for... some against his opinion. Now... a non-famous blogger (me- just in case you're wondering) is chiming in with his one non-famous opinion. Why? Why the fuck not? To answer the question of whether the Marvel movies are "cinema", one has to define what it means to be "cinema".  For me, it consists of movies that explore the human condition in a very intimate, personal way.  Movies that write their own formula for telling their stories are part of "cinema" to me.  A movie that makes you think long and hard about yourself, and your role in the wider world.  A movie that makes you question the long held statutes and rules of Society, while pushing you to find those answers even after the credits have rolled, and the lights have come one.  Movies that challenge you to face the uncomfortable tr...

Man, oh man! I was already jazzed for Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, but this new trailer pushed my anticipation level through the roof! It's classic Scorsese, classic Robert De Niro, classic Al Pacino and classic Joe Pesci. It's just classic! I'm not gonna waste further words. Watch it... now! I've heard complaints amongst the film-nerd community that the "de-aging" of the leads looks like crap. Having just watched this trailer, I think the only crap present is what these film nerds are slinging. Go back to your mom's basement and eat your waffles, nerds! The Irishman is going to kick all kinds of ass when it hits theatres Nov. 1, and Netflix Nov. 27. Source: The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon

By now pretty much everyone has watched the trailer for Martin Scorsese's upcoming Netflix venture The Irishman. And, if you're a true movie fan, you're excited. This is an important movie, and not because of the groundbreaking -- and ducking expensive -- process Scorsese and company went through to de-age the stellar cast. Nor is it important because it's Marty, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro making a Netflix movie, although that is a sign of the times, and things to come.